subject: CPU Heatsinks - What Kind of Airflow Is Best? [print this page] CPU Heatsinks - What Kind of Airflow Is Best?
There are two main airflow styles to choose from when you're building a high-end system. The first is present in cases built for the more typical CPU heatsink, those that pull air vertically that flows down through the heatsink and out the bottom around the sides of the CPU. These higher-end cases offer a "heat pipe," which leads directly to the outside of the case. The basic principle is that the fan on the heatsink can draw the coolest air possible, rather than the already circulated (and therefore already heated) air inside of the case. This is a great idea in principle.
The problem with it, is that if you consider that while you're cooling your CPU very well, you also happen to be blowing the heated air downward and into your case in at least two directions (if not more), which considerably interrupts any smooth airflow you might have traveling through your case and cooling your other components. So essentially, you're sacrificing the temperature of your other components for the sake of the holy CPU. The CPU is certainly important, but for many applications, other components are just as important. For professionals, the hard drives are critical and for gamers, the video card. Both of which are heat magnets without proper airflow.
Because of this sacrifice, I am of the mind that more often than not, a user should be interested in the overall health of his case, and therefore should look for a heating solution that will keep his entire system safe in a much more equitable (and safe) way. To do this, you need to use a heatsink that pulls air sideways, parallel with the surface of the motherboard. This means purchasing a third-party heatsink, as the retail heatsinks packaged along with CPUs are configured vertically. This isn't much of a point to make, as anyone serious about a performance system will scoff at the paltry cooling power of the typical pre-packaged heatsink.
These directional heatsinks allow for the least amount of airflow interruption in a case, as they can be positioned to push and pull the air right along with the forward-to-back airflow in your case. This configuration allows for a maximum amount of continuous, cooling airflow across all of your components, which is certain to keep them running consistently for quite some time, even under continuous, stressful usage.
